Sukhothai business district flooded

SUKHOTHAI, Sept 10 - The rising Yom River has flooded downtown areas of the Sukhothai provincial seat, damaging wide areas, bringing business and commerce to a halt.

Residents and shopkeepers moved their belongings to higher ground during the night as floodwaters from the Yom River gushed out from underground sewers and washed away some pavement at the riverside market.

About 1,000 homes are flooded by up to one metre of water, and four schools in the municipality have closed.

Deputy Director-General Anusorn Kaewkangwan of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said northern run-off raised the water level in the Yom River and some parts of flood protection dyke near the market were damaged.

As a result, floodwaters flowed into the market about one metre deep and about half a metre at the provincial hall.

The situation is not considered critical at the moment. Giant sandbags are placed to plug the 10 - metre hole to control the flooding, he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-09-10

Sukhothai still under water, 1.2 metre flood in provincial seat market; PM orders urgent assistance for victims /MCOT

They mustn't have finished the flood protection work in Sukhothai yet.

They mustn't have finished the flood protection work in Sukhothai yet.

I think the Sukothai CBD is one of the government water catchment areas.

But the PM said..

PM orders urgent assistance for Sukhothai

BANGKOK, Sept 10 – Officials in the old capital of the Sukhothai kingdom were instructed Monday to urgently help flood-affected residents, and a flood prevention expert blamed the flood on a deteriorating wall, and not the flood management system.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ordered the governor of Sukhothai and disaster relief officials to be proactive, especially in flood-hit areas.

Royon Jitrdorn, member of the Water and Flood Resources Management Committee, said that Sukhothai, 440km north of Bangkok, is capable of taking flood water at 800 cubic metres/second and the latest water level reading was one metre lower than the anti-flood dyke.

The anti-flood barrier is too old, he said, and water flowed under it into the provincial seat. He described it as a “local problem,” and not a water management failure.

Mr Royon predicted another round of rainfall later this week and expressed confidence in successful prevention of floods as planned.

Regarding last week’s downpours which saw increased levels of water in many Bangkok canals, he said four consecutive days of drainage since last Thursday had prevented many Bangkok areas from flooding.

“However, we could not drain out the water as much as we like, or riverbanks may be damaged,” he explained.

Lertviroj Kowitwattana, director general of the Irrigation Department, said major dams in the North will have enough storage capacity for rainfall in the region.

If it rains below Bhumibol Dam (in Tak) and Sirikit Dam (in Uttaradit), flooding on several rivers is possible, he said, adding that the Irrigation Department has been on alert to drain out excessive water to Rangsit field for eastern and western Bangkok.

Water was drained out of the Rapipat canal in eastern Bangkok in late August. Klong Rapipat’s drainage capacity is 210 cubic metres per second.

He gave assurances that the Chao Phraya River can take in more water. The river, the lifeline of Thailand’s central plains, has a storage capacity of 30-50 million cubic metres. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-09-10

Oops - Yingluck missed this one. Or does flood protection only apply to the Bangkok elite?

From the OP: a flood prevention expert blamed the flood on a deteriorating wall, and not the flood management system.

Well, I'm no expert, thank the powers that be, but it seems to me that checking existing walls should be part of the flood management system. I reckon it passes the "reasonable man" test...although truth be told, I've never heard of that being applied here in Thailand.

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

I think when I read this idiotic comment one more time I will throw myself to the crocodiles.

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

No, just a watered-down one, I'd say.

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

I think when I read this idiotic comment one more time I will throw myself to the crocodiles.

I dont think crocodiles like tough, bitter, ropey old meat

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

I think when I read this idiotic comment one more time I will throw myself to the crocodiles.

Not sure how Thai crocs take to Falang, so make sure you rub yourself with a well seasoned raw chicken.

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

I think when I read this idiotic comment one more time I will throw myself to the crocodiles.

Not sure how Thai crocs take to Falang, so make sure you rub yourself with a well seasoned raw chicken.

No probs, they'll love it with a glass of White, preferably Chardonnay.

Eh.......news flash!! Flood in Thailand!!

Thailand has experienced flooding for ever and a day.......there appears to have been a breach in the wall that allowed the water through. I'm not excusing anything or anyone here, but let's be realistic, it's going to take years to bring the flood defences up to standard in Thailand.

Decades of mismanagement by everybody will take more than one year to repair.

A flotilla of water pushing tug boats is being organized as we speak.

A torrential rainstorm has just passed over the Pichit province, the Nan & Yom rivers are swelling and no doubt the Ping too. That water will make its way down to Bangkok via Nakhon Sawan over the next week.

One can only hope that water expert Plodprasop and his team have done their sums and the klongs and drainage facilities down further south are all working as efficiently as possible.

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

I think when I read this idiotic comment one more time I will throw myself to the crocodiles.

Not sure how Thai crocs take to Falang, so make sure you rub yourself with a well seasoned raw chicken.

No probs, they'll love it with a glass of White, preferably Chardonnay.

Nah, will just sit in a drum of nam plah for a day before jumping, that should do the trick.

I thought there would be no flooding this year, does this count as a broken promise.

I think when I read this idiotic comment one more time I will throw myself to the crocodiles.

Do you need a ride? Just kidding

Posts have been deleted and one poster has been given a posting holiday. Please stay on topic.

I'm sure some may not like this question, but I'm not really here for a popularity contest, so:

Does all this water slowly flow seawards ?

Royon Jitrdorn, member of the Water and Flood Resources Management Committee, said that Sukhothai, 440km north of Bangkok, is capable of taking flood water at 800 cubic metres/second and the latest water level reading was one metre lower than the anti-flood dyke.

The anti-flood barrier is too old, he said, and water flowed under it into the provincial seat. He described it as a “local problem,” and not a water management failure.

When will these 'experts' realise to play the blame game at the subsequent debrief when everything is fixed and until then to all use their 'expertise' to provide effective solutions to the problem and relief to those affected.

BTW, does anybody know if the ancient ruins in Sukkothai are better protected now, or were they destroyed too much anyway last year? 'Unfortunately' I couldn't visit the governement water management propaganda show recently , and there seems to be hardly any other information about what has been done so far, escpecially not outside of Bangkok.

I'm sure some may not like this question, but I'm not really here for a popularity contest, so:

Does all this water slowly flow seawards ?

Very slowly ... It should be here just in time for the October high tides.

With the waters slowly flowing seawards and regularly along the way some 'old', or 'not yet repaired', or 'not yet inspected', or "it wasn't me" dikes found to be not really up to it, maybe a poll is needed on where our members think the next "not my fault" "non-flooding" will occur?

Sukhothai about 500 km up North, isn't it?

With the waters slowly flowing seawards and regularly along the way some 'old', or 'not yet repaired', or 'not yet inspected', or "it wasn't me" dikes found to be not really up to it, maybe a poll is needed on where our members think the next "not my fault" "non-flooding" will occur?

Sukhothai about 500 km up North, isn't it?

Sukhothai is about halfway between Bkk and Chiang Mai, and has the river Yom passing through it. What the report doesn't say is that Sukhothai is flooded most rainy seasons; this isn't a one-off, just usually ignored as it doesn't affect the industrial areas of Bkk.

As a weather update from Phitsanulok, the level of the Nan river is a little higher than normal for this time of year and running fast. There has been a lot of rainfall here recently with flooding in Pichet and surrounding areas. People downstream should be watching Nakhon Sawan over the next week or so as the Nan, Ping and Yom rivers join the CP for the downward journey to the sea. Should be a good test for the water control systems.

No big fan of Yingluck but when did she promise there would be no flooding? I believe the only thing she said is there would not be a repeat of last year. If she said there would be no flooding in a country with monsoons and much low lying areas then she obviously has a serious problem but if she didn't then I have to think posters who keep claiming she said it are the ones with the problem.

Bottom line is I think it is common sense there is not many countries that can guarantee they won't have floods ... kind of like a guarantee there won't be hurricanes in the US this year. I highly doubt she made any such claim of their being no flooding in Thailand this year.

Update:

Rush to 'bag' heart of Sukhothai

THE NATION

Gap in Yom River barrier swamps areas up to 1m-deep

SUKHOTHAI: -- Crews rushed to pack "big bags" in a gap in the Yom River flood barrier last night to stem serious flooding in the heart of Sukhothai.

"We'll be working all night until the big bags can plug the hole," Sukhothai Governor Jakkarin Plianwong said.

In some spots, water was more than a metre deep. Electricity had to be cut off in some areas for safety reasons.

Muang Sukhothai Thani mayor Pichet Thaikla said it was very likely the repair would need at least 100 more big bags, which weigh over a tonne each.

Many Sukhothai residents were forced to move to higher ground on boats provided by border patrol police. More than 100 soldiers were also dispatched to help flood victims in badly hit communities.

FARMS IN PHITSANULOK FLOODED

In neighbouring Phitsanulok, more than 4,000 rai of farmland in Bang Rakam district was already submerged. More than 2,000 rai of farmland in Phrom Phiram district was also affected.

Many areas of Angthong and Phichit were also under water.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra convened an urgent meeting to discuss the latest water situation, as many provinces will be struggling with floods today.

"In fact, the Yom River in Sukhothai is still much lower than the floodwall. The problem is that the strong currents eroded a part of the barrier," said Royol Chitdon, director of the Hydro and Agro Infomatics Institute and a member of a subcommittee of the Water and Flood Management Committee.

Officials in Sukhothai had to seal the hole in the floodwall quickly, he said.

Emerging from the meeting, Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said officials had already assessed the water situation and found that overall it was not worrying.

"Only the Yom River had problems. It's because there is no dam connected to it yet," he said.

Lertwiroj Kowattana, head of the Irrigation Department, said large dams such as Bhumibol and Sirikit should be able to take the runoff from rainstorms upriver.

"But for downriver zones, flash floods may strike some areas."

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said mobile medical teams had already been sent to flood-hit provinces to provide basic care.

Over 600 people were seeking help from them daily.

"Most of them have caught a cold," he said.

People could call 1669 around the clock if they need emergency medical help or have been bitten by a snake.

PM Yingluck will make a field trip to check the water situation on Thursday but had not yet decided which area she would visit, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-09-11

Good that the lesson appears to have been learned, about turning off the electricity, before people die.

"The problem is strong currents eroded parts of the barrier."

A sign of things to come?

Sent from my HTC phone.